Monday News Roundup

Jerry Leiber of songwriting team Leiber and Stoller, who together wrote many rock ‘n’ roll hits of the 50’s and 60’s, died today at 78. Leiber and Stoller penned hits by Elvis Presley, Peggy Lee, The Coasters, The Clovers, and many others, including “Hound Dog,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “Yakety Yak,” and “Is That All There Is?”. Read more here.

Living legend and Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson has announced plans to release an album of Disney cover songs, putting his own spin on classic tunes from The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Toy Story, and Snow White, among others. The album is titled In The Key of Disney and is set for an October 25 release. Catch the tracklist below:

1. You’ve Got a Friend in Me (from Toy Story)
2. Bare Necessities (from The Jungle Book)
3. Baby Mine (from Dumbo)
4. Kiss the Girl (from The Little Mermaid)
5. Colors of the Wind (from Pocahontas)
6. Can You Feel the Love Tonight? (from The Lion King)
7. We Belong Together (from Toy Story 3)
8. I Just Can’t Wait to Be King (from The Lion King)
9. Stay Awake (from Mary Poppins)
10. Heigh-Ho/Whistle While You Work (from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
11. When You Wish Upon a Star (from Pinocchio)

Explosions in the Sky / photo by Dave Lichterman

Veteran post-rockers Explosions in the Sky have been booked on an unfortunate date, playing in Boise, Idaho on September the 11th. Naturally, the theater marquee reading “Explosions in the Sky Concert 9/11″ has caused a minor stir. This isn’t the first time the band has run into problems with the date, releasing their album Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever shortly before the attacks, with album art that includes a plane shining a light on an angel, with a liner note that reads “this plane will crash tomorrow.” Luckily, when the band rocked this year’s Capitol Hill Block Party, the only explosions that went off were in the audience’s minds.

The Decemberists‘ phenomenal new album The King Is Dead has remained a mainstay here at the KEXP studios, and now standout “Calamity Song” has a video, courtesy of Michael Schur (Parks and Recreation, The Office). The video lifts from David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest, upon which the song is based, and recreates the scene wherein a global thermonuclear crisis is reenacted on a tennis court. Check the video over at NPR.

Indie rockers Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are spelunking in the depths of their back catalog for material for their newest release, Tape Club. The 26-song collection assembles rarities and demos from the band’s full recording history, from 2005’s Broom through last year’s Let it Sway. The album is available for preorder right now on Polyvinyl, on maroon vinyl, black vinyl, CD, or digital download. Watch the album trailer below.

The Weeknd‘s House of Balloons mixtape stormed the internet earlier this year, and now Abel Tesfaye has followed up with the second of his three planned releases, Thursday. Download it over at his website (the glut of traffic may make it take a while), and anxiously await part three, Echoes of Silence.